

This area was once one of the most industrial in the country, now it is a treasured part of St Helens, covered in trees and wildlife. What changed?
Bold Heritage
First of all, what is peat? It is dead compacted moss land. An industry was created in which turf cutters dug trenches to remove the peat which was then built into an array of thousands of pyramids spanning between 3 and 12 feet tall.
In 1955 the NCB, the National Coal Board, completed a £5.5 million investment into Bold Colliery.
The mine that was nearby was one of the most modern pits in all of Lancashire, with 1800 workers.
Sadly, there is such a thing called spoil with mining and this was more often than not just dirt mixed with rock and shale. It was taken by railway and offloaded onto Bold Moss. 23 years worth of this stuff equates to around 9 million tons. It caused massive environmental damage.
Things started to change in 1978. The artificial hill that was made up of the mine’s sludge and the power station’s ash, reached a maximum height and the dumping stopped.
The Colliery stopped production in ’85 and 5 years after, British Coal agreed to the sell the site in order to restore it.
What had happened to the grounds as a result?
Well, during the 90’s, lots of work was undertaken to help ease the affects of the environmental damage that all those years of dumping had had on the land. Unfortunately, the soil was then very acidic which made it very hard for the plants to regrow.
Machines were used to loosen the soil, and then after lime & fertiliser had been introduced, grass heather and wildflower seeds were planted along with trees.
What is it like now?





The site is now a haven for wildlife and plants. Colonies of Orchids have spread on the common and new species of wildlife is arriving every year.
This is just one example of what is capable if spaces that were once abused, are looked after and restored to what they once were.
The First Jacobite Rebellion
One day on our holiday to Scotland, we visited Perth and the popular Blackwatch museum. This is where I was first introduced to the Jacobite rebellion. Cue hours of happy history hunting! This museum is absolutely full to the brim of Scottish history! Where they began James II & VII was King of England and King of Ireland as James…
Keep readingDunalastair House
Back in March, me and my family visited Scotland. My father asked me to look up some places that I really wanted to visit. I found this place on google maps and it intrigued me. As you can see in the above pictures, the beautiful building is mostly in ruins, just an empty shell. There…
Keep readingBristol City Centre
Bristol has got to be one of my favourite cities to visit and explore. Let me explain and show you why… Plenty to see… When we spent the day in Bristol, we chose to use the red top bus sightseeing tour. They took us on a big tour that took us around the city, passing…
Keep readingFoil Arms & Hog – Swines show review
For those that do not know who they are, Foil Arms and Hog are an Irish comedy group over 10 years old who have performed at popular festivals such as The Edinburgh Fringe Festival, The Vodaphone Comedy festival and many more. They have appeared on many Irish TV programs too. The group is made up…
Keep readingImpurities
A short poem by me…about a conversation with myself. You took that picture because you liked yourself. You took that picture because you felt thin. Why the urge, now then, to edit your skin? You do it for yourself? No. What changed your mind? Because you’re afraid people are not going to be kind? Are…
Keep readingRadio Silence
First of all, I would like to apologise. No new content since the start of the month. Now I know that is only 20 days but to me it feels like so much longer! Let me update you as to what has prevented me from writing… New job… So after quite a few weeks of…
Keep readingPitclochry, Dam & Ladder – Scotland
This month we stayed in a lodge in Scotland in the little town of Pitlochry. According to a census taken in 2011, there is a population of just under 3,000 people that live here. It will most likely have doubled within the last 11 years. Pitlochry lies on the River Tummel and the nearest loch…
Keep readingClunie Dam and Power Station
When we stayed in Pitlochry, we were a 5 minute drive from this station and the dam. I found it interesting to learn about and I hope you do too. Why was it built? It is all part of the Tummel-Garry scheme. As you can see in the image below, (taken from SSE Renewables), this…
Keep readingLife Update: Moving to Royal Birkdale
So me and my family have recently moved house, from the dump that St Helens was, and moved to Sunny Southport. It is why my posts haven’t been the most reliable or consistent. We are slowly getting used to it. It is a really nice area and it feels very quiet. My dog Rollie is…
Keep readingMurder in the crows
Hug the tree, feel the knots leave your body. Hear the wood creak, the wind whistle. The leaves sway. Walk on the forest floor, among long ferns. The damp, cold moss underfoot. Shoots of green peeking through, glimpses of the future spring yet to come. Feel the mist creeping, sneaking quietly. Closing in on you,…
Keep readingChicken Makhani
Serves: 4 • Cooking time: 30 mins • Vegetarian alternative: Swap Chicken for Broccli. • What you need: 4 Chicken Thighs 1 tin of Coconut Milk2 knobbs of butter1 onion Olive Oil1 can of chopped tomatoes. Seasoning: 1 Tsp Ground Coriander1 Tsp Paprika 1 Tsp Cumin1 Tsp Garlic Powder1 Tsp Chilli Powder1 Tsp Ground Ginger…
Keep readingThe Maglocunus & Vortipor Stones – Nevern, Wales, UK
Nevern is a small village in the valley of Nevern, east of Newport in the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park. During August this year we stayed in Nevern with some friends on their plot of land. We stayed for 2 weeks, we had so much fun in on the beach, visting waterfalls, (see the 2 links…
Keep reading